ALBANIAN AGRICULTURE COMPETITIVENESS PROJECT Contract No. EDH-I-00-05-00004-00 DAI QUARTERLY REPORT April - June 2008 This report was prepared by DAI for review by USAID. AAC Third Quarterly Report – FY 2007 – January-February-March 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 4 COORDINATION EFFORTS .................................................................................. 4 OPERATIONS .......................................................................................................... 5 SUCCES STORIES ................................................................................................... 7 COMPONENT 1 ..................................................................................................... 10 Task 1 – Consolidating Production ..................................................................................................................10 Task 2 – Improving Production Practices ........................................................................................................12 Task 3 – Strengthening Farmers’ Access to Finance .......................................................................................23 COMPONENT 2 ..................................................................................................... 26 Task 1 – Linking Producers to Buyers ..............................................................................................................26 Task 3 – Increasing the Supply of High-Quality Product ..............................................................................28 COMPONENT 3 ..................................................................................................... 29 MONITORING & EVALUATION ......................................................................... 32 OTHER ACTIVITIES.............................................................................................. 33 CONSULTANT SERVICES AND TRAINING ..................................................... 35 ADMINISTRATIVE ................................................................................................ 37 __________________________________________________________________________________ 3 Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness Project Address: “Ismail Qemali” Street; Fratari Building; Third Floor, Tirana, ALBANIA Tel.: +355 42 56839 AAC Third Quarterly Report – FY 2007 – January-February-March 2008 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AAC’s momentum and pace accelerated significantly during the third quarter resulting in considerable progress towards achievement of its first year targets. Component one, Strengthen Producer Capacity for Competitive Commercial Farming, achieved substantial results with most targets met or exceeded. Component two, Strengthen Capacity for Market Development, also saw a quickening of its activities, especially through program coordination with EDEM. Component three, Increase Access to and Use of Timely and Reliable Market Information, saw steady progress towards meeting first year targets. The impressive gains achieved in Components 1 and 2 are due, in large part, to the development and implementation of strategic and pragmatic plans of action for each of the four high value products. Several training sessions, field trials and meetings aiming to establish linkages between producers and buyers in local and export markets were organized to achieve project objectives for the abovementioned components. AAC continues to explore effective ways of working to develop profitable farm business models for the four products through the outreach programs in the three field offices. Lushnje and the Northwest areas with large coastal areas and favorable growing conditions offer the greatest options for working with the entire value chain for the four products. Korce, located in a mountainous region with a different set of growing conditions , has fewer options for working with all of the value chain products on a competitive basis. COORDINATION EFFORTS Engagement with value chain actors and their public and private support network is viewed as crucial to expanding AAC’s enterprise development model. To this end, AAC staff continue to meet regularly with the main commercial actors in the agricultural value chain, Albanian government officials, donor organizations, and donor-supported contractors. Indicative of the important role AAC is playing in the sector, AAC is seeing a shift in who is requesting meetings. Increasingly it is AAC partners who are asking to meet and discuss involvement in project activities. Some of the organizations AAC has met with this quarter include: SNV, Spanish Aid, FAO, EBRD, World Bank and U.S. Peace Corps, who have expressed interest in volunteers providing support to AAC clients. Meetings with Albanian Government included staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection at the national, regional and commune levels. These meetings were related mainly to Components #1 and #3. __________________________________________________________________________________ 4 Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness Project Address: “Ismail Qemali” Street; Fratari Building; Third Floor, Tirana, ALBANIA Tel.: +355 42 56839 AAC Third Quarterly Report – FY 2007 – January-February-March 2008 OPERATIONS During this period, AAC underwent other changes in project management. Ed Reinauer began his assignment as the AAC Chief Of Party on April 1, 2008. Bronwyn Irwin, HO Technical Associate was replaced by Ingrid Arsoedijero. Support staff was hired to assist the AAC professional staff . Three professional drivers hired for the three offices Tirana, Lushnje and Korçe, they joined the AAC team on May. The staffing pattern for the third quarter of the AAC Project follows1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT Ed Reinauer Chief of Party Component #1 STRENGTHEN PRODUCER CAPACITY FOR COMPETITIVE COMMERCIAL FARMING Paul Sommers- Tirana Ilir Pilku- Tirana Grants Manager Ilir Mehmeti-Northern Region (based in Tirana) Lushnje Office Piro Rapushi Josif Liko Luto Goga Kostandin Koço (Saranda) Korçe Office Lefter Turtulli Mehmet Pupa Pellumb Tuxhari Component #2 STRENGTHEN CAPACITY FOR MARKET DEVELOPMENT Ed Reinauer - Chief of Party Tirana Paul Sommers - Tirana Piro Rapushi- Lushnje Office Lefter Turtulli- Korçe Office Ilir Mehmeti- Northern Region __________________________________________________________________________________ 5 Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness Project Address: “Ismail Qemali” Street; Fratari Building; Third Floor, Tirana, ALBANIA Tel.: +355 42 56839 AAC Third Quarterly Report – FY 2007 – January-February-March 2008 Component #3 INCREASE ACCESS TO AND USE OF TIMELY AND RELIABLE MARKET INFORMATION Bled Hodobashi-Tirana Monika Thimo-Korçe Majilinda Qorri-Lushjne Administration Merita Janushi - Tirana Support staff - Drivers Kujtim Kertalli - Tirana Vangjel Tanku - Lushnje Shpetim Goxhaj - Korçe __________________________________________________________________________________ 6 Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness Project Address: “Ismail Qemali” Street; Fratari Building; Third Floor, Tirana, ALBANIA Tel.: +355 42 56839 AAC Third Quarterly Report – FY 2007 – January-February-March 2008 SUCCESS STORIES RAPID SOIL TESTS IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY FROM THE GROUND UP Most of Albania’s competitive growers have one thing in common: they have never had their soil analyzed. The reasons are about the same: the time involved going to and from the government laboratory, high cost, and understanding how to interpret the scientifically written results. The AAC Project is showing scores of growers the value of soil testing , through a user friendly hands-on technique, as a first step to improving productivity. Why soil testing? Commercial fertilizer prices are heading in one direction: straight up. Prices have increased between 50-100% in just one year. If applied correctly feertilizers can boost yields and quality. AAC has determined most growers are not in this category. If applied incorrectly it can increase cost, reduce yields, increase pest problems, create soil and water pollution, and affect quality. In AAC’s assessment most growers are in this category. What tests are done? AAC used the highly popular and easy to understand Rapid Test Kits made in the USA. The kit analyzed four elements: Nitrogen, Prosperous, and Potash, and soil PH. The results are color coded so the grower can see instantly the fertility condition of the soil. How are they done? The AAC outreach team visit their clients, take soil samples from around their plots, make the preparation and do the test right on the site in partnership with the farmer. In a short period of time the grower is able to see before their eyes the situation of their soil. The AAC Outreach staff then share a chart which indicates the approximate amount of fertilizer needed to attain a status of normal for that crop. Said one grower, “the color in the test kit got so dark it went over the “sufficient” color mark. I clearly saw that I was applying way too much phosphorous. I was throwing away money!” Another grower saw the very light color indicating that potash is very deficient. Without adequate potash the fruit would not reach the quality needed for sale as a high value product. __________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness Project Address: “Ismail Qemali” Street; Fratari Building; Third Floor, Tirana, ALBANIA Tel.: +355 42 56839 AAC Third Quarterly